Art as a tool for human rights and inclusion

The "Inclusion through Arts" conference, which was organised by Yerevan State University Centre for European Studies in cooperation with ShareMusic & Performing Arts and other partners, brought together a diverse group of Armenian and international participants to discuss and highlight the growing role of art in creating a more inclusive and just world.

Manfred Nowak, a prominent human rights expert and the Secretary-General of the Global Campus of Human Rights in Venice, believes that art plays a multifaceted role in promoting human rights and enhancing social cohesion.

- We live in very challenging times and we need to unite our forces, Nowak begins. This applies not only to arts - even sports can play a role. We need effective communication channels that reach a broad audience to raise awareness about human rights, especially in a time when there are so many human rights violations, armed conflicts, climate change – you name it.

In a world full of complex challenges, the fusion of art and human rights emerges as a powerful force for positive change and collective empowerment, according to Manfred Nowak.

- Music, poetry, theater, cinema, fine arts - all forms of art have a profound ability to unite people and also have a healing power. As soon as people start singing together, dancing together, or playing music on different instruments - even the simplest ones - a sense of community similar to family is created. Music has the ability to unite people across borders, across ethnic origin, across gender. In the collaborative music-making process, all different identities are shed; one is there to share and experience the music together.

"My Convention" and the "Inclusion through Arts" toolkit launched

In recent years, ShareMusic, alongside its partners at the Centre for European Studies at Yerevan State University and the Henrik Igityan National Centre for Aesthetics in Armenia, has been exploring various ways to express the connection between human rights and art. The culmination of this work includes the production "My Convention," a performing arts production that highlights the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as an education toolkit for schools that employs inclusive and creative methods to raise awareness of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. These significant outcomes were presented at the conference and garnered significant interest among educators.

Mariam Muradyan, one of the authors of the education toolkit, hopes that it will open up new opportunities for children to learn about their rights:

- We hope that the Ministry of Education in Armenia will take ownership of incorporating it into the curriculum, and we have received encouraging suggestions from them. We also plan to organise meetings with other teachers to demonstrate how the exercises work in practice. Our aim is for the toolkit to be a dynamic resource.

Vahan Badalyan, the director of the Henrik Igityan National Center for Aesthetics in Armenia, also reflects with great pleasure on the two significant achievements made during the joint project with ShareMusic & Performing Arts – the production "My Convention" and the development of the education toolkit. Another success for the project has to do with Vahan being appointed from leading the Small Theatre – NCA to heading the entire Henrik Igityan Centre for Aesthetics, where the Small Theatre is a part. According to Vahan, this development has provided him with additional opportunities to support the project and disseminate its positive results.

- Such projects are crucial as they address prevalent societal issues, not only in Armenia but globally, Vahan emphasizes. Performing arts serve as a very strong visual tool to work with the society and gradually shape its attitudes and practices regarding inclusion and human rights.

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Read the full interview with Manfred Nowak here

Read the full interview with Vahan Badalyan here

Read the full interview with Mariam Muradyan here